Monthly Archives: May 2016

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Sellers Happy, But Home Buyers Are FrustratedThe number of home buyers who say now is a good time to buy dipped to an all-time survey low in Fannie Mae’s latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index. Meanwhile, home owners who say now is a good time to sell soared to an all-time survey high.

Big bank plans $420 million lawsuit over soured Countrywide loansHSBC plans to file a $420 million lawsuit against Bank of America and Merrill Lynch over soured Countrywide mortgage loans. HSBC notified the state of New York of its intention to file the lawsuit this week, claiming that Merrill Lynch and Bank of America allowed Countrywide loans to be securitized despite knowing they were toxic, according to a HousingWire report.

Lawsuits revived against Royal Bank of Canada and 15 other banks in LIBOR-rigging caseA federal Appeals Court in New York City has reinstated lawsuits against 16 of the world’s largest banks, including the Royal Bank of Canada, alleging they colluded to manipulate a benchmark interest rate. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Monday restored the lawsuits, which had previously been dismissed by a lower-court judge.

Asbestos, other toxic chemicals finally set to be regulated by EPAThe Environmental Protection Agency will finally be able to regulate asbestos and other known toxic substances for the first time in decades. But environmentalists say the compromise bill doesn’t do enough and limits state regulators. With bipartisan support, the House of Representatives voted 403-12 to pass a bill to update the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 for the first time since it was enacted.

Yoga May Improve Memory Better Than Brain TrainingYoga isn’t just good for the body; it might help your memory too, a small new study suggests. The study involved 25 adults ages 55 and over who had mild cognitive impairment, or problems with thinking and memory that sometimes precede Alzheimer’s disease.

Texas Judge Orders DOJ Attorneys to Take Ethics ClassesSubmitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog, This is simply priceless. A federal judge in Texas on Thursday tore into Justice Department lawyers who argued the immigration case involving the Obama administration, ordering them to take ethics classes. In a blistering court order, U.S. District Court Just Andrew S.

‘Democracy in the US is a fraud’: Left Forum debates next steps for Sanders movementA rigged democratic system, a “grotesque” military fighting unwinnable wars under the “drone commander in chief”, and the future of the movement behind presidential candidate Bernie Sanders were the focus of Day One at the Left Forum in New York City. This weekend’s theme “Rage, Rebellion, Revolution” brings thousands to John Jay College from Friday through Sunday.

SSA lawsuit may be first of manyLONDON, May 19 (IFR) – At least four more law firms may be lining up to sue a group of five banks for alleged collusion in bond trading, following a lawsuit brought by a US pension fund this week.

Lawsuit: Bank of America misled trading partnersA female Bank of America ( BAC) executive has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the nation’s largest bank of misleading trading partners, discriminating against her based on gender and condoning a “bro’s club” workplace with “all-male sycophants.”

5 major banks rigged $9trn bond market – lawsuitTraders at major financial institutions including Bank of America and Deutsche Bank AG colluded to rig the prices of bonds from government-linked organizations that were bought and sold on a $9 trillion market, a new lawsuit claims. Five big banks – Bank of America, Credit Agricole SA, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, and Nomura Holdings – were named as defendants in the proposed class-action lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the Boston Retirement System pension fund for city workers.

FBI: Number of cops killed on duty last year fell by 20 percentThe number of US cops “feloniously” killed in the line of duty last year dropped significantly, according to preliminary statistics released by the FBI. The figures show 41 officer killings last year, almost 20 percent less than in 2014, when 51 law enforcement officers died in action.

Federal judge allows former CIA detainees to sue over tortureFor the first time, a federal judge is letting a civil lawsuit proceed against two CIA contract psychologists who designed and supervised brutal interrogation tactics that critics called torture. The ruling allows two former CIA detainees and the family of another who died in agency custody to try to win damages in federal court for the abuse they suffered at then-secret CIA prisons in the early 2000s.

Results of Glyphosate Pee Test Are in “and It’s Not Good News”Article reprinted with permission from EcoWatch Last month, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) volunteered to take a urine test to see if glyphosate-the cancer-linked weedkiller-is in their system. Forty-eight MEPs from 13 different European Union countries participated in the test, and now the results are in.

When Watson Comes For Your Job, Give It To HimA week ago, the venerable law firm BakerHostetler announced a new hire, Ross. Ross is joining the bankruptcy department of the 100-year-old firm. Despite being new to practicing law — BakerHostetler is Ross’ first job — Ross brings a myriad of skills to the role.